Golf club (Accepted)

A golf club is a tool used in the game of golf, promoted by the Scots as their revenge on the rest of the world.  The club consists of a staff with a flat striking head, used to hit a small, defenseless ball.  It’s a period artifact, depicted in a Flemish book of hours (the so-called “Golf Book” by Simon Bening) c.1540; but unsurprisingly, it’s not found in period heraldry.

The golf club has its handle to chief by Society default.

Torquil MacTaggart the Steadfast bears:  Vert, two golf clubs crossed in saltire, on a chief rayonny argent three pellets.

Murdoc MacKinnon bears:  Vert, on a bend embattled counter-embattled between two golf clubs inverted in saltire and an Irish harp Or, a greatsword sable.

Glove-puppet (Period)

A glove-puppet is a doll attached to a simplified glove, worn over the hand and used in amusements.  It is a period charge, found in German heraldry c.1400 [Neubecker 122].  For related charges, see gauntlet, human figure.

Linnet Kestrel bears:  Or, a glove-puppet displayed affronty erased of a man vested of chain, helm and surcoat azure, atop the dexter arm a hen linnet close to sinister and atop the sinister arm a cock kestrel close proper.

Ismay of Giggleswick bears as a badge:  A glove-puppet vested vair, faced argent, collared and wearing a jester’s cap gules.

Chessboard (Period)

Backgammon board (Period)

A gameboard is a square or rectangular piece of wood, with a regular pattern inscribed on its surface, used for playing certain board games.  In heraldry, they are usually drawn as delfs or billets fesswise with details in contrasting tinctures.

The type of game must be specified in the blazon, since each game uses a different board.  For instance, the “chessboard” is found in the arms of von Pirdenhofen, c.1560 [BSB Cod.Icon 390:793]; it might be drawn with fewer than the regulation eight ranks and files.  The “backgammon board”, with its pattern of triangles, is found in the arms of Pegies or Pegez, 1435 [DBA2 193].  (The game was played much as it is today, though it was called “tables” or “nardshir” in medieval times.)

Byzantine chessboard (Accepted)

Twelve-man morris board (Accepted)

Any period gameboard may be used in Society armory:  examples include the “nine-man (or twelve-man) morris board”, with a pattern of squares, and the “Byzantine chess-board”, with a radial checkered pattern.

Marguerite de Villars bears:  Argent, a Maltese cross between four fleurs-de-lys in saltire gules, overall a nine-man morris board saltirewise Or, marked sable.

Ryan of Rickford bears:  Or, a nine-man morris board chased within an orle azure.

Coilean mac Caiside bears as a badge:  A Byzantine chess-board checkered sable and argent.

Die (Period)

A die is a small cube used in games of chance, usually made of wood, bone, or ivory, with a different number of spots (1 through 6) on each side.  Dice existed in period, both as artifacts and as heraldic charges; they were one of the few medieval charges that were shown in trian aspect, though Continental emblazons often show them face-on.  When emblazoned, the numbers shown on the die are usually left to the artist – though in one case, the arms of Ambesas (c.1275), for canting’s sake the dice are traditionally depicted showing a point of ‘1’ (aces) [ANA2 351].

For related charges, see delf, tablet (weaver’s).

Dathi Thorfinnsson bears:  Pean, two dice in pale argent spotted sable.

Aethelwyn Castrel of Arran bears:  Sable, three dice Or spotted sable.

Kaleeb al-Akhdar bears:  Argent, a die gules marked argent.

Of the six types of pieces used in the game of chess, five are found in Society heraldry:  the chess rook, the chess knight, the chess king, the chess bishop, and the chess pawn.  Of these, only the chess rook and chess knight have been found in period armory.  They are thus the only pieces which, having a standardized form, can be assured to have heraldic difference from the others.

Chess rook (Period)

Chess knight (Period)

The chess rook was common in medieval heraldry, found as early as c.1285 in the arms of FitzSimon [ANA2 234]; it was a frequent source of cants, as with Rockwood (Rokewode, Rookwood), 1371 [DBA2 260].  The chess knight was most frequent in German heraldry, as in the arms of zu Tratzperg, mid-16^th C [NW 69], or of von Hertzheim, 1605 [Siebmacher 95].  The chess knight has two heads by default.

Chess king (Accepted)

Chess bishop (Accepted); chess pawn (Accepted)

The other three pieces, the chess king, bishop and pawn, are Society innovations; their forms were taken from Publicius’ Ars oratoria, 1482.  In point of fact, any period depiction of a chess piece is acceptable, so long as the piece is identifiable; the most common modern stylization, the Staunton set, is post-period and may not be used.

There is no restriction on who may bear chess pieces:  one need not be a member of the Chivalry to bear a chess knight, for instance.

See also zule.

Alberic Reed bears:  Argent, a chess king within a bordure rayonny gules.

Margot Becker bears:  Azure, three chess rooks argent.

Eoin MacGriogair bears:  Argent, a chess knight sable crined gules.

Knut Gunnarson of Småland bears:  Per fess argent and sable, a pale counterchanged, three chess pawns sable.

Godefroy Lévêque bears:  Or, a chess bishop and a chief gules.

Card-pique (Accepted)

A card-pique is a symbol found on playing cards:  in non-heraldic terms, a “spade”.  Tradition deems it a stylized form of spearhead.  The card symbol appears to be period, though not used in period armory.  However, there were some types of leaf in heraldry whose depictions are visually indistinguishable from a card-pique – the linden leaf, for instance – and the card-pique is accepted on that basis.  It also means no difference is granted from those leaves.  See also foil (trefoil), heart, lozenge.

Hugh ap Llewelyn bears:  Or, a chevron voided gules between two card-piques and a crux ansata all sable.

Erc FitzMungo bears:  Sable, a card-pique argent.

Jacob Maximilian of the Black Forest bears:  Quarterly gules and checky argent and sable, a card-pique Or.